Heat-sealing tool



Oct. 21, 1952 J. FRYE mzmnsrmdrm;A TooL 3 Shasta-Sheet `l Filed Nov. 24, 1947 INVENTOR. Jock Fry'.

ATTORNEY BY @www OC. 21, J, FRYE HEAT-SEALING TOOL Filed Nov. 24. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jock Frye BY Sm am@ 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J FRYE HEAT-SEALING TooL Oct. 21, 1952 Filed Nov. 2'4, 1947 Patented Oct. 21, 1952 .UNITED :STATE/s PATENT oFFfIcE HEAT-fSEALING TOOL `JaclrFrye, Sedona, Ariz.

Application :November 24, 21947, :SerialfNoi ,78?,801

(Cl. "21S-2l) ,3 Claims.

This invention relates `,to ,heat-sealing `,devices iand more particularly to simple household rior ,oflice toolsfor effecting a ,union between xtwo or more klayers-of sheet or similar `materialloy `fusion of a thermoplastic material.

Numerous thermoplastic lmaterials k,in sheet formihave come into widespread use as wrapping,

covering or Y,packing materials. As .examples of such thermoplastic wrapping nor 'packaging ma- `-terials may be imentioned ,regenerated cellulose,

:rubber hydrochloride, plasticized polyvinyl .chlozride, vinyl chloride-vlnylidene chloride interpolymers andthe like 1in iiexible :sheet form. In addition 'to sheets of these thermoplastic materials, such flexible sheet materials as paper or cloth either coated orimpregnated lwith thermo- :plasticheat-sealable materials of the type mentionedor provided with a sealing strip of such 'heat-scalable material, either as `a coating at its marginal vedges for a separate stri-p vinserted be-v tween the surfaces I.to be joined are also extensively used. 'These thermoplastic heat-scalable `materials are used extensively in such applications as bags for food storage, particularly in re- "frigerators, deep freeze units 'and ice boxes; kgarment bags forthe Aprotective storage of clothing, particularly -woolens bookcovers` for 'temporarily .or permanently protecting the :covers voi books,

notebookayphotographs and the like.

lThe usecf such plastic sheet material for the ivarious wrapping or covering `purposes exempli- `fied above yfrequently involves effecting'a union between two Vor 'more layers of the thermoplastic frnaterial. Thus, yin preparing lfood Afor r`freezing,

vthe food is commonly packed in va bagrnade of 'thermoplastic sheet material or'provided with a `sealing strip of suchmaterial at its vopen end, Vand the open "end lof the bag `sealed by pressing "to- `gether Yand heating the edge portions thereof. This heating vsoftens the thermoplastic material Vso'that'the-edges are joined in a lcontinuous fused l'to refer to yanother typical example, the edges surrounding the openingthrough lwhich'the garment, or such v`articles 'as blankets have been inserted 4'into the bag, `must `be ysealed `primarily to prevent moths or dust from entering 'the bag land attacking or soiling the articles stored therein. In this instance, a continuous seam may be eml2 ployed or if it is unnecessary-matan.absolutely air-tight joint be formed, the edges 4of -thelmaterial at the opening may 'be ,merely tacked at spaced intervals.

A number of devices havebeensuggestedinthe prior art foreffecting .the sealing of the thermoplastic wrapping materials, but allof the devices lwhich have heretofore -been kdeveloped ,have been designed for industrial or ,commercial application rather ,thanfor'home or oilice .use ,and therefore utilize bulky and costly equipment. The use of these prior art devices in thehomeis generally not justified in View ofthe usually limited and intermittent use of such .equipment ,for 'household purposes, so that the housewife has heretofore 4been restricted tothe use of an `rordinary pressing iron to effect heat-sealing of such thermoplastic materials.

.It is an object of the present invention ,tcprovide sealing equipment vfor thermoplastic materials such as food storage or garment bags, vor the like, which is sufficiently simple, inexpensive and easy to operate as .to be marketableasa housev,hold utensil or oiiice device with all the fcharacteristicsof simplicity, low price :and small space consumption usually associated with articles of .this kind.

It is a further object of the invention yto .provide sealing equipment for lplastic sheet and similar material which,-in spite ,of .itslow cost-and extreme simplicity of operation, ,is `capable .of making uniform and homogenouszseams of .the

y air-tightvariety as well as of a more intermittent,

4tacking type, the equipment ,being particularly designed for `such intermittent uses as occur-,in y.the home, ias vdistinguished from industrial practice.

Astill'fnrther object of the inventionisto provide sealing equipment for thermoplastic material which is operable by a housewife or an unskilled operator without there being any `danger fof injury from either electrical `or mechanical contact with energized yor vmoving parts of the operating mechanism.

Other objects, and the `manner 'in'iwhich the vsame are attained, will become apparent as 'th present specication proceeds.

In order to fully understand thepresent invention, reference is made .to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is ,a plan view, parti-yin section. @of a. .simplied `plier-,like form of mir-invention;

Fig. r2` is .a .plan view, :partls7 lin section, `of the jaws offa modiedform ofthedevice'inwhichithe heated portion of the jaws of the pliers are rollers;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of the jaws of a modified form of the device illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein only one of the rollers forming the jaws of the pliers is heated;

Fig. 4 is a plan View, partly in section, of the jaws of a further modification of the device of the present invention, wherein narrow rotary heated discs are employed in the jaws of the pliers;

Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the jaws of a modied form of pliers, wherein the heated jaws are mounted by a swivel connection so that they may be positioned at right angles l to the plane of the drawing, if desired;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the jaws of the pair of pliers of the present invention, wherein a guide shield is provided on one side of the jaws as well as a handle set at an angle relative to the edges;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an end view of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the jaws of a pair of pliers of the present invention, wherein a displaceable guide is provided;

Fig. 10 is an end view of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is an illustration of the jaws of a pair of pliers and a diagrammatic illustration of a high frequency oscillator for effecting the heating by high frequency currents in a dielectric medium.

Referring now to Fig. l, the device, which is inthe form of a pair of pliers, has arms I and 2 pivoted together by pivot pin 3. The ends 4 and 5 of arms I and 2 respectively may be formed of insulating material or have insulation applied thereto. A double electric cord 5 supplies current to resistance heating elements "i and 3 disposed in the jaws at the end of arms I and 2 respectively. The faces 9 and It of the jaw end of the plier arms I and 2 respectively should be parallel and straight, so that in operation the edges of the material to be heat-sealed may be placed between faces 9 and I0 and the jaws closed while heated by electric resistance heating elements 'I and B, so that heat and pressure are simultaneously applied to the thermoplastic material being sealed in order to soften and fuse it together at the line of Contact of faces 9 and II), the pliers being moved along the material to form a continuous seain, if desired, or clamped together at spaced intervals in order to tack the material at desired places.

In the form of device illustrated in Fig. 2, the fixed jaw faces have been replaced by rotatable rollers II and 'I2 journaled at one end by pins I3 and I4 respectively in the outer end of arms I and 2 respectively and at their other end being supported by and free to rotate about fixed supports I5 and IS respectively for heating elements I'.l and I8 respectively. This device has an advantage over the fixed jaw type illustrated in Fig. l in that when it is desired to form a continuous seam, the rollers II and i2 slide more easily over the material and any danger of breaking or tearing the sheet of thermoplastic ina- 'terial being sealed is minimized. If desired, as

illustrated in Fig. 3, only one of the rollers I2 need be heated by a resistance heater I8 while the other roller I I' may be an idler roller rotating on pins i3' and I3 journaled in the ends of the jaw of arm I.

When a narrow edge is to be sealed or where only a thin seam is desired, it may be advantageous to construct the tool in the form illustratedinrFig 4, wherein the rollers 2I and 22 are rotatably mounted in the jaws at the ends of arms I and 2 respectively, being journaled on pins 23 and 24 respectively. As illustrated in the drawings, the disc 2| is an idler disc while disc 22 is heated by resistance heating element 25 around enlarged portion 2S of disc 22, thermal insulation 21 being provided around the resistance heating element 25 in order to minimize heating of the arm 2 of the plier itself.

Another modification of the heat-sealing pliers of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the heated jaws 30 and 3I are pivoted at the jaw ends of arms I and 2 respectively, resistanceheating elements 32 and 33 being connected to electric wire 6 provided in each 0f the jaws. In the position shown in the drawings, a comparatively wide marginal lip of the sheet material to be sealed may be treated, Contact being along the entire vlength of the jaws. However, if desired, the jaws may be swung to right angles t0 the plane of the paper and the'tool then moved along the edge of the material to be sealed, so that only a relatively narrow area. of contact may exist and a comparatively narrow marginal lip is sealed.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show a guide shield on one side of the jaws, as well as a handle set at an angle relative to the edges. This guide serves the purpose of uniformly guiding the tool along any edge to be sealed and thus maintaining a definite marginal lip during the sealing procedure.` The bent handle makes it convenient to hold the tool at a suitable angle. As illustrated in the drawings, a guide plate 36 is connected to face 9 and both faces 9 and I0 are bent at an angle to th handle as illustrated in Fig. 7. i

A slightly modified form of guide shield is illustrated in Figs. 9 and l0. As there illustrated, the guide shield 38 is provided with slots 39 and 40 through which pass set screws I and 42 respectively, so that the guide shield 38 may be adjusted, for instance, to the positions 38 or 38 so as to permit any desired width of material to be contacted.

While the edges of the pliers have been illustrated as being heated by resistance heating elements as this is the most simple form for household use, it is apparent that if desired, the heated jaws may take the form of electrodes connected to a high frequency oscillator, so that the device uses the principle of dielectric heating. This, of course, is a more elaborate and more costly form of tool, but may be useful for certain applications where it is desired to heat the material internally rather than externally without heating the jaws of the plier. Suitable apparatus of this type is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 11, wherein 55 designates a high voltage, high frequency oscillator connected to a suitable source of power by electric cable 5i and cables 52 supply power from the high frequency alternating current to electrodes 53 and 54 mounted in insulation 55 and 56 in the jaws at the ends of arms I and 2 respectively of the pliers.

It will be understood that the foregoing illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and that, if desired, various auxiliary devices such as thermostatic controls to regulate the heating elements, may be used therewith and various modincations and changes'which may be made without departing from the spirit ofl this invention or the scope of the appended claims witll suggest themselves to those skilled vin the ar I claim:

1. A heat-sealing tool of plier-like construction comprising a pair of crossed pivoted arms forming handles at one end and jaws at their other end, a fixed electrical heating element mounted on the jaw end of at least one of said arms, a roller mounted on said jaw, said roller having a portion of relatively large diameter forming the inner face of said jaw, and a portion of relatively small diameter surrounded by said heating element, and a roller mounted in the jaw end of said other arm and forming the inner face thereof, a journal for rotatably mounting each roller, a fixed support within the jaw, one end of said journal being mounted in a jaw end and the other on said fixed support, said rollers contacting each other when said tool is closed.

2. A heat-sealing tool of plier-like construction comprising a pair of crossed pivoted arms forming handles at one end and having the other end turned inwardly to form jaws, the jaw ends of said arms being at an angle to the said handle ends,I and provided with smooth inner faces adapted to contact each other when said tool is closed, and an electrical heating element in at least one of said jaws adapted to heat the inner face thereof, and a guide element carried on the side of one of said jaws and adapted to close one side of the opening between said jaws.

3. A heat-sealing tool of plier-like construction comprising a pair of crossed pivoted arms forming handles at one end and having the other end turned inwardly to form jaws, the jaw ends of said arms being provided with smooth inner faces adapted to Contact each other when said tool is closed, an electrical heating element in at least one of said jaws adapted to heat the inner face thereof, a guide element mounted on the side of one of said jaws and slidable longitudinally thereon and extending across the side of the opening between said jaws when said tool is open to thereby control the depth t0 which material may be inserted between said jaws.

JACK FRYE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '752,141 Chandler Feb. 16, 1904 1,422,826 Brown July 18, 1922 2,160,617 Kellner May 30, 1939 2,343,975 Hosiield Mar. 14, 1944 2,400,696 Jones May 21, 1946 2,401,991 Walton et al June 11, 1946 2,402,298 Salsloerg June 18, 1946 f 2,441,817 Hui May 18, 1943 2,443,749 Stunkel June 22, 1948 2,476,325 Rowe July 19, 1949 

